Decalcomania transfer and method



July s, 1941. R. QBE K 2,248,213

I DECALCOMANIA TRANSFER AND METHOD Filed Aug. 8, 1938 6V HA RR/s, Kmc/-/, Fos TER 6 HARRIS 29 nd M FOR THE Fl PM ATTORNEYS.

Patented .iuiy 8, 1941- S PATENT @FFICE DECALCOMANEA TRANSFER AND METHODRoy 0. Beck, Pasadena,

chrome,lnc., Los Angeles, Calif.,

of California Calit, assignor to Vitaa corporation Application August 8,1938, Serial No. 223,611

12 Claims.

My invention relates to the decalcomania art with particular referenceto the construction of transfer sheets and involves not only theconstruction of such sheet, but also a new' and useful decalcomaniamethod.

It has long been desirable to develop asimple, inexpensive decalcomaniatransfer that may be employed to apply any character of design in asimple and rapid transfer procedure. Such development has been retardedprimarily by problems associated with the so-called separation coat onthe mounting sheet of a transfer that carries the design coat. Thegeneral object of my invention is to solve these problems.

The separation coat of a transfer must have normally a relatively sturdytexture to serve as an adequate vehicle for the printed design,v

but must at the time of application be capable of releasing the designwithout damage or distortion. Usually a composition of glue-likecharacter is employed because a dry glue coat may have a suitably hardgelatinous consistency to carry the design coat and, when properlymoistened at the time of application, may become sumciently fluid torelease the superimposed design. inevitably, however, there is atroublesome degree of adhesiveness in the moistened glue to hinderseparation of the design coat In the usual practice, moreover, glue iscarried away with the separated design coat and is also deposited on thesurrounding surface of the article to which the design is applied. Afterthe design is applied, such transferred glue must be completely removedfrom the design and the surrounding surface wherever exposed because,with prolonged exposure or hot weather, the glue may'crack, curl orbecome discolored, damaging the design coat and spoiling the appearanceof he article carrying the design. A delicate design coat may survivethe ordeal of being separated from the mounting sheet only to be ruinedin spite of skill and care in the subsequent operat-ion ofremoving-traces of transferred glue. it a quick-drying varnish isemployed to cause the ,design to adhere to a surface, inevitably some ofthe varnish will be deposited on areas of the article adjacent thedesign. Such exposed varnish tends to crack, especially if subjected tosevere weather conditions and, therefore, like the glue, must becarefully removed in a final cleaning operation.

The principal problems involved, then, are the difiiculties encounteremin separating the coat from the mounting sheet and the subsequentdifficulties in cleaning the applied design.

' nish mount transfer.

Various expedients have heretofore been employed either to meet or toavoid these difficulties. For example, in the simplex slide-off type oftransfer, the design is a unitary coat of such 'sturdiness as towithstand considerable stress without damage, and since the coat slidesbodily off the wet mounting sheet onto the article to be decorated,glue-side against the article, glue on the face of the applied design isentirely avoided. The glue that is carried over with the design liesunder the design coat and is thereby protected to some extent fromdetrimental exposure. I'he employment of a design coat of such ruggedcharacter, however, entails certain material disadvantages. In the firstplace, the strength of the coat must be achieved either by coalescingseveral successive coats or by combining with the printed design areinforcingfilm of lacquer or the like, the manufacturing process ineither case exceeding in cost the production of a single-coat design.Another disadvantage is that a slideofi transfer is necessarily limitedto a solid design represented by a coat of suficlent continuity to holdits shape under substantial stress. Some minor openings in the designmay be permissible but only at the cost of weakening the resistance ofthe design coat against distortion in the transferring process. Neithera pronouncedly filamentary delineation nor a design characterized byisolated elements is applicable to a slide-oil":

transfer, because such designs may not be slid. from the mounting sheetwithout distortion and the necessity for subsequent correction.

In the employment of a reversed simplex transfer, the printed coat isapplied directly to the surface of the article to be decorated and aftersuitable treatment the mounting sheet is peeled away from the applieddesign. Unless the design is of a solid or continuous character, it maybe almost impossible to peel away the mounting sheet without alsolifting the design itself, since the glue separation coat may produce-agreater amnity between the design and the paper than exists between thedesign and the surface to which the design is being applied. When thedesign coat is released, invariably glue is carried over with the designand is also transferred to the surrounding surfaceof the article, sothat a final clean-up is necessary.

The prevailing practice for applying complieated open designs of highquality to expensive articles, such as musical instruments, is carriedout by using a transfer known as the duplex var-- Such a transfercomprises a thin tissue of paper on a heavier paper backing, aseparation coat on the tissue, and, finally, the printed design. Theprocedure of transferring the design to an article is expensive becausethe services of a skilled artisan are necessary and the completeapplication of a single design requires considerable time. A thin coatof quickdrying varnish is applied to the design side of the duplexvarnish mount transfer and permitted to dry to the tacky stage, the timerequired depending upon the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere.Usually ten to twenty minutes is required. After moistening the surfaceof the article that is to receive the design, the artisan applies thedesign face downward and rolls the mounting sheet with considerablepressure for a substantial period of time. After a proper time interval,the heavy paper backing of the composite sheet is carefully peeled off,and then the remainder of the transfer is again subjected toconsiderable pressure by a roller to force air out from under the designcoat.

In the next step, the tissue is liberally moistened to llquefy theseparation coat and to permit the wet tissue to be peeled off, leavingthe design on the article together with a film of transferred varnishand substantial portions of the glue. This glue must now be removedquickly as possible because it shrinks very rapidly upon drying, causingthe design to curl away from the surfaces upon which it is beingapplied. If the weather is hot and dry and the design is of relativelygreat area, it may be impossible to remove all of the glue before itsaction in drying ruins the design. Finally, mineral spirits or othersolvent is employed in carefully wiping off the.

transferred varnish. Both of these operations must be executed with careand skill if the design is complicated, carelessnessoften resulting inthe necessity for removing the whole design and repeating the operation.A further difliculty is that the employment of a duplex varnish mounttransfer is characterized by the formation of bubbles which remainunderneath the design coat after the transferring operation. Withconsiderable care in rolling, the number of bubbles may be reduced, andsome of the remaining bubbles will disappear within twenty-four hoursafter the design is applied, but with the best of care a number ofappreciable bubbles will always remain under the design, causing thefilm to break down at a later date.

While the duplex varnish mount transfer is applicable to designs thatare too open and discontinuous for the simplex transfers, its success isonly a matter of degree. For example, even a duplex varnish mounttransfer is not practical for a design having innumerable minutediscrete parts. Small dots of paint, for example, would be disturbed orentirely removed in the final step of wiping off the residual glue andvarnish.

One of the general objects of my invention is to reduce the cost ofapplying a design by a decalcomania process. In achieving this object, Ihave the specific objects of avoiding the use of varnish or cements andsolvents therefor, of eliminating the time necessary to prepare atransfer for application, of reducing the number of steps in thetransfer procedure, and of simplifying the procedure to bring it withinthe ability of an ordinary operator.

Another general object of my invention'is to achieve high quality andpermanence in the applied design by eliminatlng bubbles under theapplied design coat and by avoiding any stresses sign coat. One of myspecific objects is to avoid transference of glue or varnish to thedesign or to the article on which the design is to be applied. Animportant feature of my invention is that in achieving the aboveobjects, I have produced a transfer medium that is as readily applicableto any conceivable complicated and discontinuous design as to a simpledesign of continuous character.

My invention is characterized by the conception that a separation coatof the properties necessary to carry a superimposed design'may, at thetime of application, be absorbed into the mounting sheet and thus ceaseto be a disturbing factor in the transfer procedure. I have discoveredthat the separation coat may be absorbed to such an extent that alladhesiveness between the mounting sheet and the design-coat iseliminated with no appreciable traces of the separation coat remainingto be transferred either to the applied design or to the surroundingsurfaces of the article to which the design is applied.

The above and other objects and features of my invention will beapparent from the ensuing or operations that might tendto distort thededescription considered with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an illustrative design that may be applied inaccordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation in perspective of a section througha flat article and my transfer as initially applied thereto, showing thevarious layers of the transfer;

Fig. 3 is a. similar view at a subsequent stage in the procedure afterthe separation coat has been absorbed into the mounting sheet;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing my transfer with an additional adhesivecoat for binding the design to the surface of the article; and

-Fig. 5 shows the transfer of Fig. 4 at a laterv stage when theseparation coat has been absorbed into the mounting sheet.

At the heart of my invention is the conception that the mounting sheetof a transfer may be absorbent with respect to the separation coat tosuch an extent that the separation coat will move into the body of themounting sheet at the time of design transfer when the separation coathas served its purpose. It is apparent that two factors'are involved:The degree to which the mounting sheet is absorbent, and the degree towhich the separation coat may be made fluent and penetrating toencourage such absorption. While I find it convenient, in the preferredpractice of my invention, to develop both of these factors toward thedesired result, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatreliance may be placed primarily on either of the two factors. Thus, thegreater the capacity for absorption on the part of the mounting sheet,the less the necessity for thinning the separation coat to facilitateabsorption, and, on the other hand, the thinner the diluted separationcoat, theless the degree of absorbent capacity required in the mountingsheet. In any case, the two factors must be matched to an operativeextent to co operate in the manner sought.

Any suitably absorbent type of mounting sheet may be employed, includingvarious grades of paper, but it is to be noted that sizing or otherwiseloading a paper may so reduce the porosity of the paper as to make itinoperative for my purpose. In my preferred practice, I employ for mybacking sheet what'is known to the trade as carbonate paper. i

ing sheet with the required facility and to the required degree. Withcarbonate paper, I have achieved acceptable results using a separationcoat consisting solely of gum arabic. Better absorption may be had byadding sugar to the gum arable.

The coating when applied to the mounting sheet in the process ofmanufacture is sufliciently thinned with water to spread evenly, but isnecessarily heldto sumciently high viscosity to prevent substantialpenetration of the mounting sheet. After the separation coat dries,.thedesign is printed thereon in any suitable manner known to the art. Thematerial of the design coat may contain some tacky ingredient to makethe design adhesive at the time of application, but

such ingredient is not necessary, since a coat of ordinary paintmaterial usually coheres with sufiiciont tenacity to any smoothnon-porous surface to which it may be transferred.

Fig. 1 shows on the surface of an article ill a design that involves toomany difliculties for application on a commercial scale by any of theprior art procedures of transfer mediums heretofore mentioned. In theabsence ofa background coat, the outer ring element ii of the design andthe larger circumscribed design elements I2, l3, and M are completelyindependent of each other. Likewise, the myriad minute dots of paintar-, ranged in the circular series indicated at l5 are entirelydisconnected from each other and are likewise independent of the largerdesign elements. It would be impossible to slide such a design from amounting sheet onto the article ill without disturbing the spacialrelationships in the design. If such a design were applied by one of themore direct prior art methods, it would be too costly in practice toremove traces of transferred glue or varnish from the vicinity of thedots l5 without destroying or removing a substantial number of dots.

The procedure for applying this design by my transfer is brief and freeof complications. The transfer is first held immersed in water for ashort period and then is applied direct tothe surface of the article illas indicated in Fig. 2. It will a a separate coat.

to such an extent that the peeling action will not carry away ordisplace to the slightest extent even one of the small paint dots l5.The design is left in a clean state, free of any significant traces ofthe separation coat.

I have discovered that by providing a wetting agent to facilitate theabsorption of the separation coat into the mounting sheet, excellentresults may be obtained and the time required for the transfer proceduremay be reduced to an extremely brief interval. The wetting agent may beprovided as an ingredient in the water in which the transfer is immersedat the time of application, or may be-incorporatedin the transfer sheet,or again may be applied to the. transfer sheet In my preferred practice,however, I find it convenient and advantageous simply to include thewetting agent in the composition of the separation coat.

Those skilled in the. art will readily appreciate the fact that anynumber of the numerous wetting agents available may be found to beoperative for my purpose. The penetrant I employ in the preferredpractice of my invention is an ester of sulphodicarboxylic acid as setforth in the Jaeger Patent No. 2,028,091, issued Jan. 14, 1936, and soldunder the trade-name Aerosol.

A further refinement in my preferred practice is the addition of butylalcohol to the composition be noted in Fig. 2 that coat members I21: andIda corresponding to the design elements l2 and I4 respectively lieagainst the surface of the article ID and are covered by the separationcoat l6 which is in turn covered by the mounting sheet l1, progressiveportions of the various layers being removed in the drawing to show thestructure of the applied transfer sheet.

Water and air are then pressed out from under the transfer, preferablyby employing a suitable implement such as a squeegee or roller, thetransfer paper support being held firmly in position during thisoperation. In the meantime, the water provided by the initial immersionof the transfer dilutes the separation coat l6 and causes the separationcoat to be substantially completely absorbed or abstracted by themounting sheet II. A few moments after all surplus water has beenremoved and the paper has been completely squeegeed, the operator mayremove the mounting paper by simply lifting it at one corner and jerkofthe separation coat to hasten drying of the coat in the course ofmanufacturing the transfer, and the addition of ethyl lactate to givebody to the separation coat, and to retard penetration of the mountingsheet when the separation coat is first applied. Both of theseingredients reduce bubbling during the application of the separationcoat to the paper. I also prefer to add pine oilior other softeningagent to the composition to give it a certain pliable character afterthe separation coat dries. This pine oil in combination with water alsoserves desirably to soften the design coat at the time the design isbeing transferred. My preferred composition for the separation coatcomprises the following items in parts by weight:

of the water containing all of the sugar to a boil over a fire, removethe solution from the fire, and add the gum arabic, stirring well. Ithen add the remainder of the water together with the wetting agent, andlet the m xture stand several hours withoccasional stirring until thegum is completely dissolved. Finally, with vigorous stirring, I'add thebutyl alcohol, ethyllactate,

' and pine oil.

A transfer manufactured with a separation coat of this. composition needbe dipped in water at the time of application for a period ofapproximately only three seconds, and the mounting paper may be peeledaway from the design after an interval of only one minute or less following the squeegeeing operation.

In another form of my invention the transfer is constructed as beforedescribed but has print,- ed on the 'design a final coat of glueor otheradhesive agent for causing the design to adhere being unchanged. Whenthis transfer is applied in the manner previously described, theseparation coat I6 disappears being absorbed in the paper, but thevarious portions of the adhesive layer l8 are protected from dilution bythe superimposed portions of film coating that make up the design.Instead of employing glue for the coat l8 in the form of my inventionillustrated by Figs. 4 and 5, I may provide a coat of varnish and use avarnish solvent to make the varnish tacky at the time of applying thedesign. The solvent for the varnish may be lightly applied direct to thevarnish coat at the time of application or may .be mixed with the wateror other liquid employed to wet the transfer at the time of application.

In the preferred form of -my invention described above, I employ awater-soluble separation coat. In other practices of the invention I mayemploy separation coats responsive to other solvents. For example,shellac employed for the separation coat will move into the body of theabsorbent mounting sheet if the transfer is dipped into alcohol insteadof water when the design is to be applied.

My disclosure herein for the purpose of illustrating the principles ofmy invention and of teaching those skilled in the art the essentialsteps in' my method will suggest various changes and modifications thatdo not depart from the spirit of my conception. I reserve the right toall such changes and modifications that properly come without the scopeof my appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a decalcomaniatransfer, the combination of: a mounting sheet; aglutinous separation coat on said sheet; and a design coat on saidseparation coat, said separation coat being sufficiently soluble inwater and said mounting sheet being sufliciently absorbent of thinliquids,

whereby added water will thin the separation coat and cause theseparation coat to be dissolved into said sheet to release said designcoat.

2.In a decalcomania transfer, the combination of: an absorbent mountingsheet; a water soluble separation coat on said sheet and containing awetting agent; and a design coat on said separation coat, the absorptivecapacity of said mounting sheet being suflicient to substantiallyaccommodate the separation coat when made fluent whereby the applicationof water to the transfer will cause said separation coat to be absorbedinto said mounting sheet, thereby releasing said design coatsubstantially free of the substance of said separation coat.

3. In a decalcomania transfer, the combination of an absorbent mountingsheet; a water soluble separation coat on said mounting sheet normallyof too high viscosity for substantial penetration thereof; a wettingagent incorporated in the transfer to promote penetration of said sheetby said coat in the presence of added water; and a design coat on saidseparation coat, the absorptive capacity of said mounting sheet beingsufficient to substantially accommodate the separation coat when madefluent.

4. In a decalcomania transfer, the combina tion of: anabsorbent-mounting sheet; a watersoluble separation coat on said sheetcontaining soluble separation coat on said sheet containing gum arabic,sugar and wetting agent; and a de sign printed on said coat.

6. A method of applying a printed design to the surface of an article,said method including the steps of applying to an absorbent mountingsheet a separation coat too viscid for substantial penetration into saidmounting sheet but capable of being thinned to sufllcient fluencyrelative to the absorptive capacity of the mounting sheet forsubstantially complete absorption into said sheet; printing said designon said separation coat; and thinning said separation coat to cause saidcoat to be substantially absorbed into said mounting sheet to releasesaid design to the surface of said article.

7. A method of applying a printed design to the surface of an article,said method including the steps of: applying to an absorbent mountingsheet a separation coat containing a wetting agent, said separation coatbeing too low in water content for substantial penetration of saidmounting sheet but capable of being thinned to sufficient fluencyrelative to the absorptive capacity of the mounting sheet forsubstantially complete absorption into said sheet; printing a design onsaid separation coat; and releasing said design from said mounting sheetto said article by applying water sufiicient to cause said separationcoat to be substantially absorbed into said mounting sheet.

8. In a decalcomania transfer, the combination of a mounting sheet; aseparation coat on said sheet; and a design coat on said separationcoat, said mounting sheet being absorbent of relatively thin liquids,said separation coat being soluble relative to the absorptive capacityof the mounting sheet to sufficient fluency on the application of a thinliquid both to release said design coat from the sheet and to beabsorbed into said mounting sheet rather than to adhere to any surfaceto which the design is released.

9. In a decalcomania transfer, the combination of: an absorbent mountingsheet; a glutinous separation coat on said sheet; and a transfer coat onsaid separation coat, said separation coat being sufficiently solublerelative to the absorptive capacity of the mounting sheet to enter themounting sheet substantially bodily in response to solvent applied tothe uncoated side of the mounting sheet.

10. In a decalcomania transfer, the combination of: an absorbentmounting sheet; a water soluble separation coat, said separation coathaving a normal viscosity sufliciently high to prevent substantialpenetration of the mounting sheet but being sufiiciently solublerelative to the absorptive capacity of the mounting sheet forsubstantially complete absorption by said sheet in response to waterapplied to the sheet; and a design coat on said separation coat.

11. In a decalcomania transfer, the combination of: anabsorbent'mounting sheet; a separation coat on said sheet ofsuificiently. high normal viscosity to prevent absorption thereof by themounting sheet, said coat being sufliciently soluble relative to theabsorptive capacity of the.

ing sheet; a design coat on said separation coat;

. mg water to .the separation coat, the improveand an adhesive coat onsaid design coat to c9TiSement which comprises subjecting the Separationthe design to adhere to an article to which the coat to the action of awetting agent to facilitate decalcomania transfer is applied. absorptionof the separation coat into the mount-- 12. In a methodot releasing adesign from a, ing she Qiubthx application of water to thesepadecalcomania transfer having an absorbent 5 ratioi kkx t. mountingsheet and a separation coat by apply- ROY C. BECK.

